Hikaru Nakamura is a chess grandmaster and popular Twitch streamer, who has helped teach the game to some of the biggest names on the internet, but he was left literally wincing by this blunder from top YouTuber Mr Beast.
Hikaru is one of the biggest names in chess, and has seen a lot of success streaming his gameplay to viewers on Twitch, making a huge name for himself on the platform in 2020 alongside other chess aficionados such as the Botez sisters.
Playing with some of the top names online, including the likes of xQc who definitely left an impression on him, Hikaru has become the go-to for influencers and content creators looking to better their chess game.
With Jimmy ‘Mr Beast’ Donaldson looking to up his game, he was playing with Hikaru and, when he was in prime position to check the grandmaster, made a huge blunder that completely cost him the game.
The two were nearing the end of their matchup. Hikaru (black) had just his King and a Rook remaining, with the Rook quickly being taken by Beast — though it does seem as though Hikaru let him take the piece, which could have easily put the white King in a check position.
With just his King remaining against Beast’s King, Queen, and Rook, it looked a foregone conclusion that Mr Beast would beat the internationally-recognized grandmaster, forcing Nakamura’s king into a corner and claiming his win in just a matter of moves.
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Instead, Beast fell for the classic rookie error of moving his Queen in such a way to force a stalemate, rather than claiming the win which Hikaru seemed willing to give him as he moved towards the corner of the board.
With Hikaru’s King not directly being attacked, but unable to move without ending up in a check position, the game ends as a draw due to the stalemate situation — something Mr Beast seemingly didn’t see coming, as he’s surprised at the game’s ending.
Hikaru, though, looks even more unimpressed, literally wincing as the game reaches its conclusion and simply saying “oh no,” clearly let down by what happened.
Beast, in his confusion, asked whether it can count as a win, or if he’ll have to “beat him again” — which is a pretty bold question to ask considering the magnitude of the blunder that just cost him the game.